CARACOL

What CARACOL does

CARACOL Società Cooperativa Sociale is an Italian social cooperative founded in June 2017 and headquartered in Casumaro, Modena, within the Emilia-Romagna region. The cooperative operates a multi-brand portfolio anchored on gastronomic events and community-driven social projects: its flagship brand, Lumaca di Casumaro, runs the Sagra della Lumaca (a 20+ day snail festival in July–August that drew a record 10,000 attendees in 2023) and provides customized catering and corporate dining services. Supporting brands include Saggro (a physical store and Saggro.com e-commerce site selling local food products and snail-slime-based cosmetics, operational since February 2024), LabC (a 1,600 sqm technology hub and startup incubator funded by a public grant), Sagre.org (a national consulting platform for sagre organizers launched April 2023), Sant'Agostino House (a subsidized social hotel supporting reintegration for people without fixed residence), and Casa Mosè (services for people with disabilities). The cooperative also operates an in-house agricultural project (Orto e Allevamento) that uses the certified Metodo Cherasco heliciculture protocol to provide near-total self-sufficiency in gastronomic event inputs.

The business model is hybrid and per-engagement-based. Revenue streams include catering and event ticket sales (Lumaca di Casumaro), venue hire of a 1,400 sqm Sala Polivalente with capacity for 620 people and a sponsor-visibility model using six 65-inch screens, B2B communication services (social media management, rebranding, graphic design, video production) sold to SMEs, e-commerce sales through Saggro, training contracts with schools and job-seeker programs, and subsidized hospitality. LabC operations and S.Agostino House are partially supported by public funding. The cooperative is member-owned (six soci including President Antonio Pirani) and reinvests proceeds from commercial activities into social inclusion projects; it serves local community members, regional SMEs, municipal governments (e.g., Comune di Finale Emilia), educational institutions (Liceo Morandi, Istituto Cescot Modena, Istituto Calvi, Istituto Fratelli Taddia), and socially vulnerable populations. Distribution is largely domestic across Emilia-Romagna, with Saggro billboards active in four provinces and Sagre.org targeting national reach.

Name

CARACOL

Legal name

CARACOL SOCIETA' COOPERATIVA SOCIALE

Website

https://caracolcoop.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CARACOL is an Italian social cooperative in Casumaro, Modena, operating multi-brand activities centered on the Sagra della Lumaca snail festival, catering, e-commerce (Saggro), a tech hub (LabC), social hospitality (Sant'Agostino House), B2B communication services, and training programs serving local communities, SMEs, municipalities, and socially vulnerable individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Management and Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (72232), Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing (3118), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Advertising (7310), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Culinary Staffing & Back-of-House Services (Chefs, Servers, Bartenders) (THAHAKAN), DTC Specialty & Ethnic Food Delivery (AFAIANAH)

Keywords

• Catering services
• Event management
• Social cooperative services
• Venue rental
• Marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Casumaro

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ristorazione e catering (Lumaca di Casumaro): Catering and restaurant services through the Lumaca di Casumaro brand, including the flagship Sagra della Lumaca (20+ days, July–August) and customized corporate/private dining. Revenue is generated per-event and per-service.
2. Sala Polivalente venue hire and events organization: The 1,400 sqm multi-purpose hall generates revenue through rental for private events (conventions, meetings, exhibitions, performances) and organized events including the 'La Dolce Vita' festival. A 50 sqm shop supports on-site tastings and product sales.
3. E-commerce and retail (Saggro store): Saggro operates both a physical store at Via Garigliano 14 and an e-commerce platform (Saggro.com), selling local food products, Lumaca di Casumaro branded merchandise, and personal care products based on snail slime. Products range from handmade tortellini to snail-based cosmetics.
4. Comunicazione e pubblicità (communication services): Digital marketing and communication services offered to small and medium enterprises, including social media management, rebranding, graphic design, video production, and photography. Billed as professional consulting services.
5. Formazione e lavoro (training programs): Training courses and internships for students and job seekers, covering technology, communication, event management, and customer service. Revenue derived from public and private training contracts.
6. Social hospitality (S.Agostino House): Hotel sociale providing subsidized accommodation for people without fixed address during social and employment reintegration. Operates at below-market rates as part of the cooperative's social mission.
7. Agricoltura sociale (Orto e allevamento): Self-sufficiency agricultural project producing vegetables, herbs, and snails (elicicoltura) for use in the cooperative's gastronomic events. Reduces input costs rather than generating direct revenue.
8. LabC technology and co-working space: A 1,600 sqm technology hub and startup incubator created through a competitive public grant, offering co-working space and digital literacy programs. Revenue model involves subsidized operations through public funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CARACOL is a social cooperative that organizes gastronomic events (most notably the Sagra della Lumaca snail festival), provides customized catering and venue hire through its 1,400 sqm Sala Polivalente, operates a physical and e-commerce retail store (Saggro) for local and snail-based food and cosmetic products, and runs a startup incubator/co-working hub (LabC). Proceeds from these commercial activities fund social inclusion projects, training programs, social hospitality, and community development initiatives in the Casumaro-Modena territory.

Product overview

CARACOL Società Cooperativa Sociale is a social cooperative (founded June 2017) operating a multi-brand portfolio centered on gastronomic events, social inclusion, and territorial development in Casumaro, Italy. The core offerings include Lumaca di Casumaro (gastronomic events brand managing the famous Snail Festival), Saggro (physical and e-commerce store for local products including snail-based foods and beauty items), and LabC (1600sqm technology/incubator hub). Supporting services include a 1400sqm multipurpose venue (Sala Polivalente) for events and conferences, Sagre.org consulting for festival organizers, Sant'Agostino House social hospitality, agricultural projects (Orto e Allevamento with Ortomobile and heliciculture), training programs (Formazione e Lavoro), and marketing services. The cooperative also operates a Blog for storytelling. These offerings interconnect through shared infrastructure (the Sala Polivalente serves as headquarters for multiple activities) and a common social mission of community development and inclusion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lumaca di Casumaro: Brand for gastronomic events, food festivals and restaurant services, including the famous Sagra della Lumaca. Represents excellence, passion, and territory with the tagline 'mangiare bene e stare in compagnia' (eat well and be together).
• Saggro
• LabC
• Sant'Agostino House
• Sagre.org
• Casa Mosè

Products and services

• Lumaca di Casumaro (Sagra della Lumaca and gastronomic events)
• Saggro (physical store and e-commerce)
• LabC (co-working and startup incubator)
• Sala Polivalente (event venue hire)
• Sagre.org (consulting for festival organizers)
• Sant'Agostino House (social hospitality)
• Formazione e Lavoro (training programs)
• Casa Mosè (disability inclusion services)
• Comunicazione e pubblicità (B2B marketing services)

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000 attendees at the Sagra della Lumaca in 2023 — a record year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Biblioteca Comunale Ilenia Ardizzoni di CasumarominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaracol collaborated with the Biblioteca Comunale Ilenia Ardizzoni di Casumaro to organize an open-air cinema event in September 2023. The cooperative provided the outdoor space in the dehor of the Sala Polivalente, while the library contributed content curation and community engagement.
• Istituto Internazionale di CherascocoreTechnology or IntegrationThe cooperative adopts the Metodo Cherasco — an internationally recognized heliciculture (snail farming) method developed by the Istituto Internazionale di Cherasco in Piedmont. This method governs the cooperative's snail farming practices and underpins the quality positioning of the Lumaca di Casumaro brand. The method is certified and involves strict protocols for snail welfare, outdoor rearing, and a 5-month growth cycle.
• Comune di Finale EmiliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Comune di Finale Emilia commissioned Caracol to design and execute 'La Dolce Vita' — a large-scale cultural event held in April 2023, reviving 1960s aesthetics. The municipality provided official backing while Caracol provided event conceptualization, organization, and programming. The event involved hundreds of citizens and local associations.
• Proloco d'Italia (various)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe cooperative organized the 'Io faccio una Sagra e tu?' convention in April 2023 — the first national convention dedicated to sagre (food festivals) organizers. Dozens of proloco (local festival committees) from across Italy attended. The convention led to the launch of Sagre.org — a consulting platform serving festival organizers nationwide.
• We Make Future (Bologna)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCaracol participated in the We Make Future technology and innovation fair in Bologna, a three-day event bringing together companies, startups, and professionals. The cooperative used the event to promote the LabC startup incubator project and establish business contacts across Italy.
• LabC ecosystem partnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabC is positioned as a startup incubator connecting 'brilliant minds with major companies' to promote digital literacy and new entrepreneurial ideas. The cooperative acquired contacts at We Make Future and is actively building the LabC ecosystem. The initiative was funded through a competitive public grant.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Avanzi Sostenibilità per Azioni: Italian social enterprise operating under a cooperative-adjacent model with multi-line activities spanning sustainability consulting, social services, and community projects. Directly comparable to CARACOL's integrated social-enterprise architecture, multi-brand portfolio, and mission-driven reinvestment of revenues into community programs.
• Copernico: Italian co-working and event-space operator with multiple large-format venues across Milan and other Italian cities. Comparable to CARACOL's Sala Polivalente for the multi-purpose event venue model combining workspace, events, and catering under one roof.
• Impact Hub Italia: Italian arm of the global Impact Hub network operating co-working spaces and startup incubators with a social-impact orientation. Directly comparable to CARACOL's LabC tech hub for co-working space, startup incubation, and digital literacy programming.
• Cauto Cooperativa Sociale Onlus: Italian social cooperative combining social services, environmental initiatives, training programs, and commercial activities under one organizational umbrella. Closely mirrors CARACOL's multi-line cooperative structure, social-mission orientation, and reliance on cross-subsidization between revenue-generating and subsidized programs.
• Talent Garden: Italy's largest co-working and innovation campus network, offering technology hubs, startup incubation, and digital education programming. Comparable to LabC for the co-working/incubation offering and to CARACOL's broader mission of connecting local communities with digital-economy opportunities.

Emerging players

• Slow Food Italia: Italian chapter of the global Slow Food movement focused on preserving local food traditions, heritage ingredients, and small-scale food festivals. Comparable to CARACOL's emphasis on traditional Italian cuisine, snail-based culinary heritage (Lumaca di Casumaro), and the promotion of sagre-style local gastronomic events.

Broad incumbents

• Coop Italia: Largest Italian consumer cooperative, operating supermarkets, retail brands, and social initiatives nationwide with a member-ownership structure. Comparable as the broad incumbent Italian cooperative model that CARACOL's member-owned structure parallels, though Coop operates at vastly greater scale across grocery retail rather than gastronomic events.
• Eataly: Internationally recognized Italian food retail and restaurant brand combining marketplace, sit-down restaurants, and educational programming around artisanal Italian cuisine. Comparable to Saggro's DTC strategy of selling traditional local food and snail-based products through both physical and e-commerce channels, though operating at vastly greater scale and brand recognition.

Regional players

• Festivaletteratura: Established Italian cultural festival held annually in Mantua combining literary programming with catering, venue management, and community engagement. Comparable to CARACOL's Sala Polivalente model and the La Dolce Vita cultural-event execution for integrating food, performance, and place-based cultural programming.

Others

• Istituto Internazionale di Cherasco: Italian institute that developed and certifies the Metodo Cherasco heliciculture (snail farming) protocol that CARACOL adopts. Comparable as the industry-standards and training provider underpinning CARACOL's heliciculture operations and quality positioning for the Lumaca di Casumaro brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@caracolcooperativasociale
• Facebookfacebook.com/caracolcasumaro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caracol-societ%C3%A0-cooperativa-sociale
• Instagraminstagram.com/caracolcooperativasociale?igsh=MTM1cWFweHl4ZHdzdg%3D%3D

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CARACOL